Mechanical game device



April 9, 1929. FULGQRA 1,708,472

MECHANICAL GAME DEVICE Filed Aug. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Zg' z521247 I 4 15 13 16 INVENTOR MECHANICAL GAME DEVICE.

Filed Aug. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Apia EZECErlNICAL GATEEE DEVIGE.

Application filed August 6, 1923 The object which 1 have in view is the provision of a mechanical device which may be operated in accordance with various games, such for instance games in which playing cards dice and the lilre are employed to indicate playing values.

In general my improved mechanical game device is characterized by the employment of rotary disks, having depicted on their faces the representation of playing cards, diceiaces or other playing values and moving in relation to apertures in a coverin lid, the disks being spun by means of a manually advanced and spring-returned rotary driving:

1 wheel whose perimetral surface is arranged for frictional contact with annular surfaces concentric and moving in unison with the isks, the frictional surface of the driving wheel however being interrupted in such manner that after the disks have been given a spinning movement by the spring-return of the driving wheel, the disks continue their spinning afterthe driving wheel has come rest.

Another characteristic of my present invention is the provision or means whereby when a disk comes to rest, one of the playing cards, dice-faces or other indicia carried by the disk is fully exposed at the corresponding aperture.

Another characteristic of invention is the provision of means whereby one or more of the disks may be retracted in relation to the driving wheel so that the rotation of the driving wheel will not result in spinning the disk or disks.

Qther novel features of construction, and also of arrangement of parts will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings wherein l have illustrated a practical embodiment of the principles of my invention. Fig. l is plan view of my invention developed to display hands of playing cards, portion of 4a the lid being cut away to expose one of the disks. Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the irregular line 22 in Fig. l.

" Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail partially in {:9 section and showing one of the disk carriages,

serial Ei'o. 297399.

the friction wheel of the corresponding dish and a portion of the driving wheel.

ig. iis a view partially in section partial in side elevation of one the dis and its carriage. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing my invention developed as a (llCG-hllTOV/lng device.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the same.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive on re resents the base which may he of wood or metal and is preferably circular in form. Mounted on the base is a low circular 2 which may he of sheet metal.

A post 3 rises from the base the is threaded, lid, which may he or sheet hts down on the circul d of the post 3 s-l should the wheel in 1, the wheel when release 9 counterclockwise direction by spring.

11 represents a sheet metal cover the spring chamber 9.

The perimetral edge of the 7 is provided with a frictional contact surface 12 or which may be of rubber or similar material.

The perimetral surface is not continuous but is provided with inwardly sunken interruptions or recesses, such as shown at 13 in Fig. 3. Such interrup i ca al Hum scribed.

14 represents handles extending radially from the wheel 7 and protruding through circumferentiall disposed slots in the circular wall 2, where y the wheel may be manually rotated to wind up the spring 10.

The base 1 is provided with a lurality of sildeways 15 disposed radially re ative to the post 3, and in said slideways are mounted the flat bases of the disk-carriages 16, the outer end of said bases protruding through apertures in the wall 2, and being provided with handle-knobs 17 so that the car'iiages may be individually retracted outwardly or pushed inwardly as shown.

When at their inner positions, as shown at the right in Fig. 2, the carriages are held fixed by the spring latches 18 mounted on the base and overhanging the slideways to engage notches 19 in the inner ends of the-can riages.

Each of the carriages 16 is provided with an angular bracket 20.

21 represents the playing-disks which are each provided with a depending axial spindle 22 fixed to the disk.

The spindle 22 extends down through andis journaled in a hole in the horizontal leg of the bracket 20 and has its lower end journaled in a step bearing in the base of the carriage.

23 represents an annular friction wheel fixed on the spindle 22 below the horizontal when the wheel 7 comes to rest, its interruptions 13 are positioned opposite the friction wheels 23, thus permitting thedisks to continue to spin after the driving wheel has come to rest.

The perimeters of the friction wheels 23 may be roughened or serrated to improve their frictional engagement with the driving wheel 7.

The upper faces of the disks 21 have depicted thereon in annularly arranged series various indicia of" playing values.

Thus I have shown the representation of playing cards depicted on the disks, and the lid '4: is provided with a number of apertures 24 equal in number of the disks, at which, when the disks come to rest, a playing card is exposed by each disk.

To insure the proper centering of the playing cards relative .to the apertures, the friction wheels 23 are provided on their upper surfaces with an annular series of sockets 25 which are engaged by thedepending springball detent 26 carried by the bracket 20, the

- sockets being so arranged relative to the playing cards on the disk that as the disk slows down after being spun and the detent halts the disk by engaging one of' the sockets, the

disk is halted with one of the laying cards fully exposed at the correspon ing aperture.

The disks are supplied in number equal to the number of cards which 'form a hand in the game being played.

, I have shown five disks so that the device may be employed to indicate hands in a game wherein a five card hand is used.

If the device is to be employed to indicate whist hands, thirteen disks are supplied.

The disks have dispi ayed thereon the fiftytwo cards of the pac grouped as nearly in equal number as possible. Thus in a thirteen card hand game each disk would dis play four cards, while in a five card hand game three disks would display ten cards and two disks would display eleven cards.

When it is desired to retain the values displayed on one or more disks and to obtain new values on the remaining disk or disks,

vthe carriages of the disks which are to retain their values are pulled outwardly, as illustrated at the left in Fig. 2, so that their friction wheels 23 are drawn away from possible contact with the driving wheel 7, so 1 that upon the next operation of the device, the remaining disk or disks only will be spun.

The retraction of the carriage is not sufficient in extent to prevent the playing card being read at the aperture.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown the device developed as a dice throwing device which 1m may be .used in connection with various games, such for instance as games wherein playing objects are advanced on a game board in accordance with the values thrown by the dice. 10!

In this form of my device the base 1, the surrounding wall 2 and the lid 4 may he 7 rectangular as but two playing disks 21 are I used, one for each dice.

Each of the disks'have displayed on their lit upper faces the six faces of the dice and one of said dice faces is exposed at the corre-- spondin aperture 24 after each spinning of the lsks by means of the drive Wheel 7.

In this case the sliding carriages are not 11:

required and the'upper ends of the spindles 22 are journaled in holes in the lid 4*.

The sockets 25 are on the lower faces of the frictional wheels 23 and the detents 26 extend u wardly from the base.

There is a decided advantage in providing the driving wheel with the interruptions in its frictional contact surface, as the disks are thus permitted to spin freely and individually when the driving wheel comes to rest.

What I desire to. claim is 1. In a game apparatus of the character described, the combination of a casing having an apertured lid, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in said casing and arranged 13C movement of the disk, a, contact Wheel contact wheel so disposed relative to said inmounted concentricellv with the axis of said dicia'so that the disk when halted is properly disk and moving in unison therewith, said positioned relative to the aperture. contact wheel having frictional engagement Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 3rd day of 5 with seid driving wheel whereby to spin said August, 1928.

disk, It spring ball detent having a fixed mounting in $8.16. casing and sockets on said FRED FULGORA. 

